Cory Bernardi's new Australian Conservatives party has responded to the London Bridge terrorist attack by surveying its members about their views on Islam, saying "we can't put it off any longer".
The survey, titled "We Need to Talk About Islam" was emailed to supporters of the former Liberal Senator's party on Monday, just a day after knife-wielding attackers murdered seven and injured nearly 50 in London's Saturday night attack.
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Australian Conservatives merge with Family First
With Senator Bernardi set to gain thousands of members, finances and two state MPs, how will the new conservative marriage between him and Family First impact the federal political landscape?
A graphic next to the survey showed the Islamic "shahada" or proclamation of faith, written in Arabic with a large cross through it, a move labelled "fiercely extremist" by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, and offensive by Sydney Muslim community leader Dr Jamal Rifi.
Senator Bernardi defended the timing of the survey.
"When is going to be the right time for these people?" he asked Fairfax Media.
"We're not politicising anything, we're trying to decide what the Australian people want."
The survey aims to "begin the national conversation Australia has to have about Islam in our country", and asks questions about prayer spaces in public buildings, the construction of new mosques, child marriage, banning the burqa and sharia law. It provides multiple-choice answers.
One question states that "some have attributed the migration of people of Islamic belief to terror attacks in Australia and abroad" and asks people for their view.
Other questions include, "What is your view on the practice of sharia law in Australia?" and, "What is your view on the Islamic practice of allowing men to marry girls who are under the legal age of sexual consent?"
The email states, "Your responses will inform how Australian Conservatives respond to the present national security challenge."
Timing slammed
Dr Rifi said the timing was "malicious" and accused Senator Bernardi and his party of trying to "ride the wave of sentiment" following the London attack and Manchester concert bombing.
"The end product will be used to justify right-wing policies that do not work in the interests of society as a whole. It will be quoted as justification for such policies," he said.
Dr Rifi said to draw a red slash through the shahada was "more than insulting" to Muslims, who repeat the proclamation 15 or 20 times a day.
AFIC spokesman Ali Kadri said to cross out the shahada was "fiercely extremist".
"The shahada is what makes us Muslim, so by putting a red mark through it, it's saying you are not allowed to, or it's not safe, to practise your religion," he said.
Mr Kadri said Senator Bernardi was "providing the best support he could to ISIS".
"To blame Muslims for the crimes committed by extremists is empowering [ISIS]. They want to convince Muslims the whole world is against them."
"Bernardi's party are trying to reverse the gains of the Western world and eventually the people will pay for it, just as people in the Muslim world are paying now, because they excused extremism and thought it was the answer."
Susie Latham, the founder of Voices Against Bigotry, said the survey was a form of push polling "which clearly aims to instil and reinforce anti-Muslim attitudes".
Senator Bernardi, who formed his breakaway party to cater to conservatives disillusioned with mainstream politics, said "tens of thousands" of people had completed the survey.
He would not say how many financial members the Australian Conservatives has.
His party is set to release its immigration policy next week but the senator would not say if it included a proposed "Muslim ban".
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